Physician&#39;s chair



Feb. 2, @S w. F. KOKEN 599040 PHYSIGIANS CHAIR Filed Deo. 7, 1929 3 S`heetsSheet l Feb. 28, i933. I Wt 21 KOKEN' ,899,4

PHYSIGIANS CHAIR Filed Dec. '7, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lA/VENTO?? HTToP/vgys Feb. m 1933. w. F. KOKEN 1,899,040

PHYSICIANS CHAIR Filed Deo. 7, 1929 v 5 sheets-sheet 3 ZNVENTOR Wa/er FI JO/en HTTcR/vEx/s Patented Feb. 28, 1933 NETE STATES WALTER F. KOKEN, 0F WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI PHYSICIANS CHAIR Application led. December 7, 1929. Serial No. 412,366.

This invention relates to chairs of the type that comprise a seat which can be raised and lowered, and an adjustable back and apron combined with said seat in such a manner that they can be shifted or moved into various positions to permit the occupant of the chair to comfortably assume an upright position or reclining position, or stretch out in a horizontal position.

One object of my invention is to provide a chair of the general type mentioned, that is particularly adapted for use by physicians and surgeons, and which is constructed in such a way that it can be easily adjusted to cause the occupants head to be located at a point considerably lower than the seat of the chair. r

Another object is to provide a chair of the general type mentioned, which is of such construction that the back and apron can be moved or adjusted either in unison, or independently of each other, thereby permitting the apron to be arranged in a horizontal position when the back is adjusted in anL upright f position; permitting the bac-lr to be swung downwardly into a lower horizontal plane than the seat when the apron is in its raised or horizontal position; or permitting both the back and seat to be dropped or swung downwardly into a lower horizontal plane than the seat.

And still another object is to provide a physicians or surgeons chair which is equipped with a self-draining seat that discharges into a receptacle which can be easily removed from the seat. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of a chair constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of said chair, showing the apron raised and the back tilted downwardly into a'lower horizontal plane than the seat.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view, showing the back arranged in a horizontal position and the apron dropped downwardly into a substantially vertical position.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view, talren approximately through the center of the chair `and looking forwardly.

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevational View of the seat.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of 55 the seatand adjacent portions partly broken away, so as to more clearly illustrate the construction of the means that is used to maintain the apron in adjusted position when said apron is shifted or moved independently of 69, the back of the chair. f

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of said apron holding means, showing the apron adjusted in a vertical position; and i Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the 85 apron holding means, showing the apron adj usted in a horizontal position.

My vimproved chair comprises a seat A, a swinging back B, and a swinging apron C provided with a footrest vD of any preferred 'IQ type or design. The back B is joined by horizontally-disposed pivots 1 to the rear end portion of the seat and the apron C is pivotally mounted at the front end of the seat in such a way that said apron can be swung through an are of approximately from an eXtreme vertical position, shown in Figure 1, to an eXtreme horizontal position shown in Figure 2. The seat, back and apron can be formed from any suitable material, but when the chair is designed for use by physicians and surgeons, I prefer to construct each of said elements or members from a separate casting and finish said castings in porcelain enamel so as to produce a chair that is easy to clean and keep in a sanitary condition. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the back B is provided with integral handles or hand grips 2, which the operator in charge of the chair can grasp in eecting a change in the position of the parts of the chair. The seat A is preferably shaped or formed in such a way that any liquid substances which drop onto said seat willy drain to a discharge opening 3 at the front end of the seat and esca-pe through said discharge opening into a receptacle E, which is preferably removably combined with the seat. One convenient way of sustaining the receptacle E is to provide the frontwall of said receptacle with a hook-shaped device 4 that engages or laps over a horizontal, transverselydisposed bar 5 at the front end of the seat which is used to pivotally connect the apron to the seat, and provide the rear wall of said receptacle E with an upwardly-projecting lug 6, asshown inFigures 2land 6,thxt is ,provided 'with a'substantially inverted key-holeshaped slot 7 that receives a headed 8 which projects orwardl from a depending flange 9 on the undersi e of the seat. The flange 9 co-operates with the headed pin 8 to reliably hold the hook-shaped device 4 on the receptacle in ft 'with ie mpg'fJxI-lting bar 5 at the front end of the seat. l`'s method of sustaining the receptacle E is inexpensive to construct 'and Vit permits said cle to 1be easy combined with ar removed from the seat. As shown in dotted lines in Figure 5, the horizontal surface of the seat A is shaped so as to form a selfdra'infin'g seat whose low point is at the edge of a discharge opening 3 in the seat located above the receptacle E, thereby insuring any liquid that drops ont-o the seat `being automatically discharged from same into-bhe rece acle E.

e seat A is preferably sustained or supported bya means whichpermits'the seat and the parts Aassociated. with same to be raised, lowered and also revolved. Any eferredor suitable means may 'be used for 'this purpose, and therefore, I have illustrated 'the chair as being equipped with -aconventionafl hydraulically operated stem or 'piston F 'reciprocati-ngly mounted in a verficallydisposed 'socket or cylinder G carried by Aa pedestal H that rests on .the floor of 'the room in which the chair is located. This 'type of seat supporting `mechanism :has long been used in barber chairs and beauty parlor chairs, and Aas it forms no art of ymy present invention, I 'will not `speci caliy Idescribe 'the details of construction of same. Suce it to say lthatlthe chair is equipped with a pump lungen' I that canbe reciprocated'by manipu ating-an operating `handle J, so las to cause oil or 1the like confined in the hollow stem F 'to be forced downwardly into the space'between thelower end of said stem and thebottomof thelcyilin de'rGn so as to raise *the seat'of *the chair. A valve, controlled 'by the 1operating Ilria'ndlle J, is also provided for permitting *the l'iquid 'to escape from the space between the lowerend -of the stem and =the bottomfof the socket so as to permit the stem 'and the `seat carried by same to move downwardly.

In prior chairs of 'the type )to which my invention relates it has been Lthe Iusualoustom lto connect vthe back and 'the Lapron off Ithe chair together in such a way that a change in the 'tion o'f Kthe lback automatically eifects a c ange inthe position-of the apron. My improved dhair herein illustrated' embodies the idea just referred to, but -it also has the additional desirable characteristic of enablin the apron to be adjusted independently o the back, thereby permitting the back to be maintained in an upright position when the apron is adjusted in a horizontal position; permitting the back to be swung downward ly into a lower horizontal plane than the seat when the apron is ad'usted in a horizontal position; permitting t e apron to be swung downwardly into a vertical position when the back is adjusted in a horizontal position, or ermittin the back and apron to be swungr ownwar ly into a vertical position in a plane lower than the seat. While various means ma be used to obtain such adjustments of `t e back and Aapron of the chair, I prefer to construct the cha/ir in the manner herein illustrated, as auch a chair is inex sive to build; it is of rug ed design an the various adjustments of t back and .apron can be eifected quicklyand easily by the operator in charge of the chair. As shown m the drawings, the arm rests K of the chair have their rear end portions pivotnlly conneoted to the back B and their front endl ortions pivot-ally connected tosubstantially l1- crank-shaped levers 10 which oscillate on pivots 11 that project laterally from the met. The apron C is provided with side pieces 12 whose upper ends are pivotally attached to the front portion of the seat A by means of the horizontally-disposed transverse rod 5, previously mentioned. In order that the apron C will move automatically with the back B, when the position of said back is changed, I have provided said apron with a .pair of rearwardly projecting, segmentah -s'haped'arms L that have shoulders Aor abutments 13 on same that are adapted to co-act with pins 14 on the lower ends of the belllcrank-shaped levers 10 that sustain the front ends of the arm rests K, the rearwardly-projectinapron arms L having reduced extension-s l located above the .pins 14 and projecting rearwardly from 'the shoulders or abutments 13 on the arms L with which the pins 14 co-operate. When the pins 14 on the vevers 10 are arranged in engagement with uthe shoulders 13 on the apron arms L, as

sho-wn in Figure 1, the movement of the hwk B downwardly or away from its upright position causes the apron C to swing upwardly automatically into a horizontal position, due to rthe forward thrust which the pins 14 on the levers 10 exert on the apron arms L. When the back B is restored to its uprightposition the apron C returns automatically fto its former position, due to the force of 1 avity, the weight of the apron C being su'figibient to normally hold the shoulders 13 on the apron arms L in engagement with 'the pins 14 on the levers 10.

In yorderthat the apron 'C and the i'back B may be adjusted independently of each other and without causing ythe position of one of said members to change automatically when the position of the other member changes, I have provided my improved chair with a manually-adjustable holding means or securing means for the apron C which is adapted to be actuated by the operator in charge of the chair in such a way that the apron can remain at rest, even though the position of the back B is changed. In the chair herein illustrated the manually-adjustable apron holding means just referred to is composed of an independent pair of arms M that project rearwardly from the upper edge portion of the apron C and which are adapted to coact with a stationary holding means herein illustrated as consisting of studs 15 carried by brackets 16 which project downwardly from the underside of the seat A ot the chair. The arms M are pivotally connected with the apron and are provided at their upper edges with notches or teeth 17 for receiving the studs 15. Normally, the arms M occupy such a position that the racks or notched portions 17 on said arms clear the studs 15 when the apron C is swung on its axis, but if the operator in charge of the chair desires to lock the apron in a certain position in which said apronwill remain at rest, even though the position of the back B of the chair is changed, the operator simply has to swing the arms M upwardly so as to cause a selected pair of the rack teeth on said arms to engage the studs 15. The weight of the arms M tends to normally hold said arms in such a position that the racks on same will travel in a path below the studs 15, and in order that said arms M will be maintained in the approximate Zone of the studs 15, and thus be in readiness to engage said studs by a slight upward movement of the arms M, each of the arms d is provided at its upper side with a substantially horizontally-disposed rod or keeper 18 that extends across the stud 15 with which said arm co-operates, as shown clearly in Figures 1, and 8.

It is immaterial how the arms L and M are pivotally combined with the apron C, but I prefer to rigidly connect the arms L to the ends of a horizontally-disposed rod 19 arranged transversely in the side pieces 12 of the apron C adjacent the upper end of said apron, and rigidly connect the arms M to a tube 20 that is journaled on the rod 19 between the side pieces 12 of the apron, as shown more clearly in Figure G. The rod 19 serves as a tie bar for the two arms L at the opposite sides of the chair, and the tube 2O serves as a tie bar for the two arms M at opposite sides of the chair and permits the arms M to be adjusted independently of the arms L and without destroying the relationship between the arms L and the pins 14 on the bell-cranl-shaped levers 10 that form part of the mechanism for transmitting movement from the back B to the apron In order to assist the operator in adjusting the arms M, each of said arms is provided adjacent its front end with a depending lug 21 from which a handle or hand piece 22 projects laterally.

Any suitable means can be yused for holding the back B in adjusted position, but I prefer to use for this purpose a mechanism of the kind used in conventional barber chairs and commonly referred to as a reclining bar and reclining bar clamp. In conventional barber chairs the reclining bar is attached to the apron of the chair and is arranged to slide through a clamp supported on the vertically-adjustable stem of the chair, but in myimproved chair herein illustrated the reclining bar O is p-ivotally connected at 23 to a bracket 24 on the rear side or" the back B, and is arranged to slide through a clamp P that is mounted on the vertically-adjustable stem F which carries the seat A. The' clamp P is of conventional design andis of vsuch construction and arrangement that the operator in charge of the chair, by manipulating` the handle J, can cause the clamp P to either grip or release the reclining bar O. lllhen said reclining bar is released, the back B can be moved into any desirable position, and when said reclining bar is gripped or engaged by the clamp P, the back Bis securely held in adjusted position.

If the arms M on the apron C occupy the position shown in Figure l1, the apron C will swing upwardly when the back B is lowered, due to the forward thrust which the pins 14 on the bell-cranl-shaped levers 10 exert on the apron arms L. Whenthe back B is restored to its upright position, the apron C swings downwardly back to its former position, due to the force of gravity. If it is desired to move the back downwardly into a horizontal position while the apron C remains in its vertical position, as shown in Figure 3, the operator lirst swings the apron arms' L upwardly` suiciently to arrange the shoulders 13 thereon out of the path of movement of the'pins 14 on the bell-crank levers 10, whereupon the back B may be moved downwardly without causing thepins 14 to exert a forward `thrust on the apron arms L. As soon as the back is restored to its upright position, the arms L automatically drop downwardly into a position to co-act with 4the pins 14 on the bell-crank levers 10, thereby restoring the operative relationship between the parts that constitute the means for causing the apron to move automatically with the back when the position of the back is changed.

If it is desired to adjust the apron and back in theposition shown in Figure 2, the operator grasps the apron and swings it upwardly into a horizontal position and also lifts the arms M so as to cause two of the` rack teeth 17 thereon to engage the studs 15.

Theback B eanfnow be ,moved at `will into m `desired yposition without infecting the @PNR iC, it rheilig passible even toswing the back :B .downwardly #into a lower horizontal l5 plane than the seat. Figure f8 lillustrates the position of the parts when the apron C is nmllged in a horizontal position, andthe hackof the chair is arranged in a Avertical Milon, attention being called to the yfact -thtt atsuch times the shoulders 13 on the on varms L rare out of engagement with .t e pins Non fthe bell-crank levers l0, thus .clusmg :the apron to be maintained in adjusted `position solely by the engagement of fthemnmsM .with the studs 15 on the dependillgbrackets -16 on the seat. If it is desired to drop the apron, or arrange it ina vertical ppsitiom when .the back B is adjusted into its .downwardly inclined position, as -shown in ,Figure 2, the arms Mean be disengaged Afrom the studs l5 and the apron arms L can .beswungupwardly high lenough to cause the Shoulders 1.3 thereon to clear kthe pins 14 .en the bell-crank levers 10 when the apron iS Y lmtted toswing downwardly.

ning ,thusdesoribed my invention what I laim as ,new and desire to secure by Letters .Patent is:

Achair provided with a seat, a. swinging hack and a swinging apron pivotally combined with Said seat, bell crank levers, means ,for eoupling said levers with `the back so ,that Said "levers .will always rock in one direction when lthe back `is lowered and will always lrock in .the opposite direction when the back raised, laterally-projecting .pins on l:said levers, depending brackets on ythe seat provided Ewith studs, a transversely-disposed rod Iat the up erend yof said apron provided with a ,pair ofrearwardly-projecting, curved Jarms having shoulders thereon which can be mOved into Aand out ofoperative relationship with ,said vpins by manually moving said .curved arms,a tube rockably mountedon said rod, and rearwardly-projecting rack arms rigidly `connected .to -said tube and adapted .to be moved manually intoengagement with the studs on said brackets so as to hold the apron at rest or in aystationary position.

WALTER F. KOKEN. 

